Once Upon an Evening Cheery
by PolgarasProdigy
Summary: Alt-Universe where Voldemort didn't come to power, and it's Christmas time at the Potters. This is a stand alone chapter, and if I ever finish the rest of what is in my head there might be more.


**1**

A little boy of 4 years old with a dark unruly mop of hair sat on his mother's lap as she read him her favorite holiday book. She turned the page and tucked a lock of red hair away from her face.

Two sets of identical green eyes studied the pages as a reindeer with a bright red nose was strapped into a harness to lead a team and deliver presents to all the good boys and girls.

The boy's small hand reached out to trace branches of antlers and the lines of the bells that swung from the harnesses. The reindeer all shifted from hoof to hoof stomping their feet, and shaking off the falling snow.

A tray of hot cocoa floated in from the kitchen followed by a man with spectacles over his twinkling eyes and a head of messy black hair. As a man with spectacles over his twinkling eyes and a head of messy black hair followed closely behind. With a wave of his wand the gently steaming mugs dispersed as he took a seat next to his wife.

The boy grabbed his mug, promptly taking a sip and getting melted marshmallow on his nose. His mother smiled and took a drink from her own mug as his father laughed and reached to wipe the marshmallow away. His own mug was impatiently hovering over his lap.

"What are we reading tonight Lily?" he asked as he settled back onto the couch one hand full of cocoa, the other running through his hair. He didn't notice the marshmallow gunk made it stand up just a bit more than usual.

"Rudolph." she replied, a smile pulling at the corner of her lips.

The man's face broke into a grin "Do you like reindeer Harry?" he asked the boy.

Harry lowered his mug to reveal a nose freshly coated in marshmallow foam.

"Yeah. Comet was my favorite, then it was Dancer, but now I like Rudolph best."

Across the room the fireplace burst into green flames and a tall handsome man stepped out. He shook his straight black hair out of his grey eyes and brushed some ash from his black silk shirt.

"Evening Potters." he said as he glided farther into the room.

"Sirius!" the boy shouted cried trilled! as he and vaulted off his mom's lap to fling himself at the man.

Sirius gave a bark of laughter and caught the boy in midair. His mother had done the same with the half-empty mug.

"We're reading Rudolf! It's my favorite!"

"Really?" Sirius responded raising his eyebrows at the child balanced on his hip, "I thought your favorite story was 'The Warlock's Hairy Hart'

The boy nodded his head "That's my favorite too."

"James," Lily turned to her husband, "will you watch Harry for a bit while I get something for Sirius?" She stood and asked "Would you like hot cocoa or butterbeer Sirius? I think we have some meat pies Dumbledore sent along, too."

"Just a butterbeer please Lily." he replied as he set Harry down. The boy kept a hold of his hand and led him over to the fat chintz chair next to the couch.

Harry crawled up beside his father so he was sitting between the two men. He leaned over his father and grabbed the book his mother had left. He sat back and studied a page where Rudolf led the team through a foggy sky. Santa was flicking the reins as the team moved from one page to the next, curving through the sky.

"Why doesn't Santa just use floo powder?" Harry asked, eyes still on the book.

James and Sirius looked at each other. Sirius shrugged and ignored the look James gave him.

"Well," James started, "the reindeer are his friends, and they wouldn't all fit if they all travelled by floo powder."

Sirius gave him a thumbs up and pulled out his wand. He pointed it at a red throw that was hanging over the far end of the sofa. It floated to the floor and shaped itself into a sleigh. The tasselled ends curved over and the the long sides came up. The slay hovered a few inches off the ground in front of Harry.

James followed his friend's lead, and started recruiting throw pillows and spare toys to hover in two lines in front of the sleigh.

"Climb in Harry," Sirius told the boy with a smile that showed off his perfect, white teeth.

Harry hopped off the couch and climbed into the makeshift slay.

"Now you see," said James raising his wand in sync with Sirius'. The sleigh and makeshift reindeer started to rise. "If all the reindeer were _inside_ the house, it would be a disaster." He glanced over at his best friend who's grin got impossibly wider and as one they flourished their wands.

Harry squealed in delight as his sleigh and rag tag team of reindeer stand-ins zoomed across the room. Sirius let out another bark of laughter as he banked the sleigh to follow the pillows now circling the tree.

Harry's laughter was contagious and soon all three were beside themselves with glee.

Lily walked back into the room with a large steaming mug of butterbeer just as Sirius and James were sending the impromptu team through a series of aerial acrobatics that had Harry's feet too close to the ceiling and his head too close to the ground for her comfort.

With a swish of her wand the sleigh righted itself and floated gently to the ground. The two men stood shoulder to shoulder and gave her their best innocent smiles. Those smiles that had gotten them out of trouble many times before. Lily had seen them before, and was not impressed.

"You boys..." she started before James took a step forward and Sirius murmured " _accio_ butterbeer."

As the butterbeer floated away James picked Lily up and spun her around until she too was laughing.

"See," laughed James, "everyone loves to fly!"


End file.
